We’re revisiting some of Vancouver’s Michelin Star restaurants. Published on Main was actually the first one we dined at back in 2024 (Read our review HERE.) I guess the Michelin people check up on things annually – so we’re a bit behind.
This time, the fall “harvest menu” had just debuted. It took us all over the place – from the chef’s “snacks” course, maybe the most creative course of the night, to a mushroom course, scallop, duck, bison and more.
Our “snacks” course consisted of 9 delectable, bit-sized morsels – a fresh, raw oyster with green apple and lovage; dungeness crab with crispy kombu and moon bay kelp; trout roe; grilled mussel with crispy vichysoisse; pickerel belly with a tiny bit of caviar; beetroot with goat’s milk and beach rose; then a savoury pumpkin “pie”; chicken liver and a pork rillette with fermented plum leather. A lot to process! We enjoyed working our way gingerly through the different bites. Some were savour/flavours and others were tasty but not special.
We had a butternut squash soup with spot prawn and bee pollen followed by a scallop done in brown butter (yummy).
The next course was bison with beet, meadowsweet and salal. Other courses featured wild mushrooms – packed with umami, Fraser Valley duck (tendor and savoury), and slow-cooked steelhead.
The food was mostly top-notch, but there were a few misses – notably the steelhead which was prepared “3 ways” prior to landing on our plates in an inky squid sauce that over-powered it. I’m afraid the poor fish lost all of its texture. I would have preferred it pan-fried with lemon butter.
Desserts, too, were not “Michelin-worthy” and less creative than 2 years ago.
The service was excellent, as usual. We felt very pampered.
The most noticeable oversight, and I’m aware the Michelin evaluators don’t consider this, was the flight of wines that accompanied our tasting menu. The sake was of poor quality (bordering on “boot-polish”) and the dessert wine tasted medicinal. (That would be the Italian Cocchi “Dopo Teatro” vermouth Amaro, Piedmont.) Several of the others were passable but not special.
For us, this was not the 9.5/10 experience we had 2 years ago. In fact, on this occasion, we are being generous by giving Published on Main an 8/10 ranking.
There are 11 other Michelin Star restaurants in Vancouver. We’re going to give this one a rest.
Sushi Hyun: A Michelin-starred Dining Experience in Vancouver
iDen & Quanjude Beijing Duck House (Vancouver, BC)
Barbara Restaurant (Vancouver, BC) (Note: lost its Michelin Star in 2026)
Burdock & Company (Vancouver, BC)
Levadura de Olla (Oaxaca, Mexico)
Okeya Kyujiro (Vancouver, BC)
Lars (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
Kissa Tanto (Vancouver, BC)
Wild Honey (London, England)
St Lawrence (Vancouver, BC)
Cranes (Washington, DC)
AnnaLena (Vancouver, BC)
Masayoshi (Vancouver, BC)
Published on Main (Vancouver, BC)
And THESE restaurants don’t have a Michelin Star – but definitely should! (In our opinion.)
Pluvio (Ucluelet, BC)
The Palm Court (London, England)